(CNSNews.com) - Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)--founded in 1981 by Mother M. Angelica, a cloistered Roman Catholic nun belonging to the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration--has filed suit against Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and other senior officials in the Obama administration arguing that a new regulation requiring health-care plans to cover sterilizations and contraceptivesincluding those that cause abortionsis a violation of the organizations First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion.

EWTNs sincerely held religious beliefs prohibit it from providing coverage for contraception, sterilization, abortion, or related education and counseling, says a complaint the network filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The network is headquartered in Irondale, Ala.

In addition to Sebelius, the suit also names as defendants Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

EWTN says that it is the worlds largest Catholic media network. According to its complaint, it produces eight different video, radio and Internet services and reaches 217 million homes in 144 countries. The network has 175 affiliated broadcast stations in the United States alone.

The whole issue is being mis-framed as a violation only of the freedom of religion of religious employers. The fact of the matter is that it is a violation of the freedom of religion of anyone who opposes abortion and contraception and is an employer. My brother is a partner in a law firm he co-founded. He has an agreement with his partners not to include abortion, abortion-inducing drugs, or contraceptives in their employee Heath plan. He did this over 20 years ago because he accepts the Catholic Church’s teachings on these issues. If this mandate stands, then his freedom of religion not to cooperate in abortion and contraception are also being violated. In fact, the FREEDOM of EVERYONE not to do so is being violated, whether or not they choose to use that freedom.

7
posted on 02/09/2012 5:30:22 PM PST
by StonyMan451
(As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.)

There will never be any court case... well, let me re-phrase that: As long as a court case would not benefit zer()’s re-election, there will be NO court case. And no way no how does it help his re-election.

There will probably be an out-of-court settlement, giving a waiver to EWTN. It will be done in a way that maximizes the public sigh of relief, maximizes zer() adoration, and maximizes the votes.

22
posted on 02/09/2012 6:09:42 PM PST
by C210N
(Dems: "We must tax you so that we can buy your votes")

We had an elderly nun who liked to carry a little souvenir baseball bat, swinging it around as she walked down the hallway. Nobody messed with Sister!

I had Felician nuns who could miraculously materialize a yard stick at a moments notice. No one could ever figure out where on their habits they hid them. We chalked up as one of God's mysteries.

I had Sister Consolata in sophomore biology. Though in her sixties at the time, she could pitch a blackboard eraser with unerring accuracy. It didn't hurt much, but your hair looked like it had prematurely aged.

You are probably right about the offer of a waiver, but these waivers are a crock.

Their purpose is to temporarily appease opponents of the mandate until after the November 2012 election after which -if Obama wins - he will not have to worry about reelection and can be as radical as he pleases.

St. Valentine, “buried on the Via Flaminia north of Rome on February 14, he was born on April 16.”

(Source: wikipedia)

Bible verses, 2:14 (KJV)

Luke: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

2 Corinthians: Now thanks be unto God, which always causethus to triumphin Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

1 Corinthians: But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

James: What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

John: And foundin the temple those that soldoxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting

Ephesians: For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us]

On 2/14/2012, at 12 o’clock noon, I wish to request that everyone stop and recite the Lord’s prayer and these verses. If you are in a car, at a stoplight, let traffic wait. If you are at work, stop what you are doing.

We need to get down on one knee, all of us, and pray to God Almighty and tell Him that we do, in fact, love Him, just as He loves us.

One time, years ago, I was in a certain foreign country during a huge strike over oil prices. Truckers with tomatoes, cars, everytbing came to a standstill, and they stalled everything as people tried to get to work.

And, it worked. A few days later, the point was made, changes occurred and people went back to work.

Viva Italia

We can do this here, without crawling on our bellies to the steps of a national government that cuts us to ribbons and the children out of our women.

If it’s good enough for Tim Tebow to get down on one knee in front of God and everybody, it should be good enough for us, too.

Everyone’s freedom is violated because EVERYONE has to pay for it in their co-pays and/or monthly premiums, even if they would personally choose not to have that option for themselves, WE ALL must pay for those services for everyone else.

I should not have to be forced to supplement the costs for abortions, abortion services, contraception, contraception devices, including the morning after pill, and/or abortion counseling services and/or providers.

That was the greatest confrontation I ever saw! The bishops told Mother A that they were going to confiscate the station if she didn't comply with their liberal b/s. She said, "I'll burn it to the ground, first!" Then she sold it to Deacon Bill for $1.

36
posted on 02/09/2012 10:16:38 PM PST
by redhead
(Don't take what doesn't belong to you. LIFE BELONGS TO GOD.)

On that note, Jerry Pournelle had an interesting anecdote in his commentary on this move by Obama and Sibelius. It is worth posting here:

Some years ago the California legislature contemplated a law that would require any hospital that had a maternity ward to perform abortions on demand.

The elderly Mother Superior who ran St. Josephs hospital went to the legislature and said as follows:

I am as abbess of the order that owns this hospital a corporation sole, and I own this hospital. If you pass this law I will send all the patients to other hospitals, discharge the staff, cancel all the insurance policies, and order the demolition of all the buildings. Thank you.

Now she was very much of the Old School, and no one doubted she meant every word of it. The law never got to the floor of the assembly. I have no idea what President Obama thinks he is doing here, but I cannot see how this will help him be reelected.

“The Bishops are not looking for a waiver for Catholic organizations. They are fighting it as a First Amendment issue, which pertains to everyone, Catholic or not.”

They had no problem with “ObamaCare”, and certainly aren’t mentioning religious exemptions for this man’s private company (although he is a Catholic). That was the battle to fight, and they didn’t even show up.

We are dealing with rank evil, worshippers of death. They know no fear of God nor have any common sense. Intellectually, they are suicide bombers. They are, I assure you, laughing. The only answer they know to resistance more force, and they have as much of it as anyone on this planet can have.

The fool is the one who underestimates how must destruction they will cause before they are annihilated.

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.